As technological advancements were made, it became more common for groups of weavers to work in the same building or loomshop, the transitional stage between the home and the factory. The scale of production and the size of the machinery meant it was no longer suitable to be located in the home. The Hydes had a loomshop in Eyam, Derbyshire from the mid-eighteenth century which Samuel Greg inherited and continued to operate until the early nineteenth century. Arkwright's invention of the waterframe in 1769 marked the beginnings of the end for cottage production as the machine was too large to fit into a cottage, and required an alternative power source to either man or beast. Nonetheless, it continued to survive on an ever decreasing scale into the late nineteenth century, with a little hand production to this day. The domestic system could not compete with the more profitable, large scale factory based industry, which completely re-organised the use of labour. Within sixty years, legislation was necessary to protect factory workers from excessive abuses. Adam Daber Footnote The Turner family established their first mill at Helmshore in 1789. Weaving was put out to home workers. By 1808 the Turners were giving out work in Rochdale rather than Helmshore because wages there were a third cheaper. After a riot against low wages by the handloom weavers in Rochdale, new wage price lists were eventually agreed but the Turners were prevented from giving out work in Rochdale. In Helmshore the hand-loom weavers were 'paid in truck [in kind] with groceries and lantern mutton' from the Turner warehouse in Toad Lane. Some home workers were so badly treated by one member of the Turner family that they refused to work for him. However, despite further riots and protests, power loom weaving was finally firmly established in the mills by the late 1820s. Glynis Greenman View the Home workers collection to find out more > |
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